Briefing was at 0800 hours and the target was
an airfield at Rheine, Germany. Each planes weapons
were forty 100 pound GP bombs. Take off started at
1040 hours. The bombing altitude of 21,000 feet was
reached as the Group crossed the Netherlands North Coast.
The airfield was just inside the Dutch - German border and
the Flak was heavy. Lt. Anderson of the 711th took a
hit and went down, it was the crews third mission, his
fourth. There were 611 attacking heavies in the
mission. 26 aircraft from the 447th began landing at
1540 hours.

No.44 04/09/44 WARNEMUNDE

No.45 04/10/44 DIEST SCHAFFEN

Briefing was at 0430 hours. The target
was an aircraft repair depot near Charleroi, 25 miles south
of Brussels, Belgium. Twenty seven 447thBG aircraft
would be a part of this mission. Each plane was loaded
with ten 500 pound General Purpose bombs. Take off
started at 0700 hours and the bombing altitude of 15,000
feet was attained as the Group reached the Belgium Coast.
Clouds thickened as the Group flew on and soon the decision
was made to find the secondary target, an airfield near
Diest/Shaffen. The results of the bombing were rated
"Good" and landing started at 1150 hours.

No.46 04/11/44 ARNIMSWALDE

Briefing was at 0400 hours and the target
was an aircraft plant in Northern Poland. Each plane
was loaded with 50 tons of 500 pounds of GP bombs and 35
tons of 100 pound incendiary bombs. Take off started
at 0640 hours. There was high overcast and broken
clouds below the Group as they passed north of the German
island of Helgoland. The target was cloud covered so
an aircraft plant at Arnimswalde near Stettin, Poland was
bombed. The results of the bombing were rated as
"Good".
Lt. Pauling was hit by flak and failed to return.
Landing started at 1730 hours, an 11 hour mission.

No.47 04/13/44 AUGSBURG

Briefing was at 0800 hours and the target
was the Messerschmitt aircraft plant Augsburg in southern
Germany. The planes were loaded with 170 GP and 226
incendiary bombs. The bombing altitude of 22,000 feet
was reached as the Group crossed the French coast.
About 100 miles from the coast the Group came under heavy,
accurate flak fire which caused a number of planes to abort
and head home including Lt. William H. Johnson of
the 711th Squadron. Captain Lawrence F. McGuire and
Captain Oliver F. Keller, 711th Squadron, 2nd Lts.
H.L.
Kreuzer, 709th Squadron, and
Lt
Joseph R. Thornbury, 710th Squadron flew their
damaged planes to Switzerland where they were interned.
The trip home was uneventful with landing starting at 1830
hours.

No.48 04/18/44 ORANIENBURG RATHNOW

Briefing was at 0730 hours and the target
was an electric works on the outskirts of Berlin. The
planes were loaded with 50 tons of GP and 28 tons of
incendiary bombs. Take off started at 1000 hours.
The bombing altitude of 18,000 feet was reached as the Group
approached the coast. When we reached the assigned
target it was cloud covered, so we went to the secondary
targets of Oranienburg and Rathnow on the other side of
Berlin. Bombing was rated as "Good". Planes
started to land at 1840 hours.

No.49 04/19/44 LIPSTADT WERL

Briefing was at 0630 hours and the targets
were airfields at Lippstadt and Werl, southwest of Bremen,
Germany. Weapons for the mission were 67 tons of GP
bombs. Both targets were bombed with excellent
results, and all planes returned safely with landing
starting at 1300 hours.

No.50 04/20/44 NOBALL

Briefing was at 1430 hours and the targets
were Noball targets in the Cherbourg area. The planes
were loaded with 107 tons of 500 pound high explosives with
take off starting at 1700 hours. The bombing altitude
of 20,000 feet was reached as the Group crossed the French
coast. Bombing accuracy was rated as "Fair" with
landing starting at 2030 hours.

No.51 04/22/44 HAMM

Briefing was at 1330 hours and the target
was the marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany. The planes
were loaded with 53 tons of GP an 27 tons of incendiary
bombs with take off starting at 1540 hours. Flak was
heavy and Lt.
T.W. Gilleran, 708th Squadron, was lost in the
target area. Bombing results were rated as "Good" with
landing starting at 2150 hours.

No.52 04/24/44 FRIEDRICHSHAFEN

Briefing was at 0630 hours and the target
was an aircraft plant at Friedrichshafen on the shore of
Lake Constance which separated Germany from Switzerland.
The bombers carried 48 tons of GP and 19 tons of incendiary
bombs. Take off stated at 0850 hours and the trip
across France and southern Germany was uneventful.
Flak was heavy, but caused no serious damage and bombing
results were rated as "Good". Landing started at 1747
hours.

No.53 04/26/44 BRUNSWICK

Briefing was at 0230 hours and the target
was an aircraft plant at Brunswick, Germany. The
aircraft were loaded with a total of 64 tons of GP and
incendiary bombs. Take off started at 0500 hours and
the bombing altitude of 21,000 feet was reached as the
Group crossed the Dutch coast. The target was cloud
covered so another aircraft industry was bombed on the edge
of Brunswick using PFF equipment. Flak was reasonably
heavy but did little damage. Landing started at 1230
hours with no losses.

No.54 04/27/44 NOBALL NO. 78

Briefing was at 0530 hours and the target
was Noball No, 78 just inside the French coast. The
bombers were loaded with 52 tons of high explosives and take
off started at 0750 hours. The bombing altitude of
19,500 feet was attained as the Group reached the French
coast. Lt. Hofsess' crew, 709th Squadron, was lost but
they were seen bailing out safely. Bombing results
were rated as "Fair" with landing starting at 1200 hours.

No.55 04/27/44 LE CULOT

Briefing was at 1330 hours. The
planes were loaded with 60 tons of high explosives and take
off started at 1600 hours. The bombing altitude of
18,000 feet was attained as the Group reached the French
coast, but the target was cloud covered so an airfield in Le
Culot was bombed instead. Results were rated as "Fair"
with landing starting at 2100 hours.

No.56 04/29/44 BERLIN

Briefing was at 0430 hours and the target
was Berlin, Germany. The planes were loaded with 52
tons of incendiary and GP bombs. The bombing altitude
of 22,000 feet was reached as the Group crossed into enemy
territory. On the way to the target the 447th
encountered heavy enemy aircraft and lost several aircraft
to the Luftwaffe. As the remaining aircraft reached
the target they encountered heavy flak and lost more
aircraft. The losses included Lt. W.A. Davidson 711th,
Lt. E.D. Johnson 711th, Lt. M. Paris 710th, A.S. Peper
711th, Lt. H.T. Hughes 708th, Lt. D. Donahue 708th, Lt. C.D.
Dowler 709th, Lt. C. Marcy 710th, Lt. E.D. Farrell 708th,
Lt. C.J. Blom 708th. The last two were on their first
mission. Lt. Flemming's crew ditched in the North Sea
and were rescued. The remaining aircraft started
landing at 1445 hours.

No.57 04/30/44 CLERMONT A/D

Briefing was at 0400 hours and the target
was an Air Depot at Clarmont Ferrand, France. The
aircraft were loaded with 42 tons of GP bombs and take off
started at 0630 hours. The bombing altitude of 18,000
feet was reached as the Group crossed the French coast.
The bombing results were rated as "Fair" and the planes
began landing at 1425 hours.